TENNIS SQUADS EARN ACADEMIC RECOGNITION BY ITA

Jul 17, 2011

RICHMOND, Va. – The VCU tennis programs have built quite a tradition of excellence over the past 20 years. Since 1993, the Rams have combined for 30 NCAA Tournament appearances (18 by the men, 12 by the women) and 15 CAA Championships.

That standard of excellence is not limited to the courts as the Black & Gold were recognized once again by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) for the ninth straight year.

"My coaches and I demand a high level of dedication to all aspects of a student-athlete," Head Coach Paul Kostin said. "We want our athletes' success to not be limited to the tennis courts. Our kids have always done a great job of that and this year was no different."

VCU's men's squad earned the ITA All-Academic Team Award, which honors squads that have a cumulative team grade point average of 3.20 or above. Five Rams also earned ITA Scholar-Athlete status, given to any player (sophomore or older) who posts at least a 3.50 GPA or higher.

On the men's side, the Rams posted a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 for the Spring, including nine student-athletes being named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll and seven to the Dean's List.

Rising juniors Camill Salomon and Max Wennakoski, rising senior Filip Svensson and graduated senior Tim Johnassen all posted GPAs of over 3.6. Salomon led the way with a perfect 4.0 this spring.

For the women, graduated senior Kateryna Yergina posted a GPA of above a 3.5 in international studies to earn the ITA Scholar-Athlete accolade.